Lior Zehavi and Daniel Levi were assaulted to the ground and pummelled by three assailants outside a restaurant after they were overheard speaking Hebrew.
San Jose police are investigating a violent assault at the upscale Santana Row shopping and dining district as a possible hate crime after two Jewish men were attacked on Sunday afternoon, March 8, 2026.
The incident occurred outside Augustine, a popular restaurant, where the victims—Israeli Americans Lior Zeevi and Daniel Levy—were waiting for a table while conversing in Hebrew.
According to the victims and police reports, three young men approached them without warning and began punching and kicking them, targeting their heads in what appeared to be a deliberate assault.
Witnesses and video footage captured at the scene show the attackers striking the men repeatedly as bystanders expressed shock and called for the violence to stop.
One victim reportedly lost consciousness and required stitches, while the other sustained cuts and bruises; both were treated at a hospital and later released.
During the attack, antisemitic slurs were allegedly used, including the phrase "f—ing Jew." Witnesses also reported hearing someone yell "don’t mess with Iran."
The suspects fled the scene before officers arrived, and no arrests have been made as the investigation remains active and ongoing. The San Jose Police Department's Assaults Unit is leading the probe, citing the reported antisemitic language as grounds to treat the case as a potential hate crime.
Local Jewish community leaders, including representatives from Jewish Silicon Valley and the Jewish Community Relations Council, have condemned the attack, describing it as part of a troubling nationwide rise in antisemitism.
They are calling for stronger protections and greater vigilance to safeguard Jewish residents.
The victims expressed gratitude that their injuries were not more severe and expressed hope that the incident would raise awareness and prompt concrete steps to prevent future attacks.
Community figures echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of open Jewish engagement and unity in the face of hatred.
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